Explore Asian cities with these films
By Jannah Jumamil on October 4, 2023
It can be challenging to travel around the world when we don’t have the resources for it. However, films allow us to witness stories and places beyond us. With Asia being the largest continent, there are so many cities to see. Here are three films to start exploring Asian cities if you can’t fly out:
- Rebels of the Neon God (1992) by Tsai Ming-liang
If you want to explore Taiwan, Rebels of the Neon God is a great film to start with. The story is set in 90’s urban Taipei where it follows four young adults facing alienation and the consequences of their small crime. You get a glimpse of Taipei through roller skating rinks, arcades and city highways. Rebels of the Neon God is also the beginning of Tsai Ming-liang’s Taipei trilogy where you can get a closer look into contemporary Taiwanese cinema.
- Mondomanila (2012) by Khavn
Moving on to Southeast Asia, Mondomanila brings you to the slums of Manila, Philippines. It’s easy to solely focus on tourist spots as a foreigner, but some nooks and crannies are in the shadows. Mondomanila focuses on a 12-year-old boy in the slums where drugs and crimes are common. It might be unconventional to explore the darker parts of a city, but there is importance to it to help raise awareness.
- Where Is the Friend’s House? (1987) by Abbas Kiarostami
Explore rural Iran by following a grade-schooler on a mission to return his classmate’s notebook. The film is set in a small village in Iran where you get to admire the mud-brick architecture and its neighbouring towns. You get a glimpse of life and their culture through a child’s perspective. Where Is the Friend’s House? is the first installment of Kiarostami’s Koker trilogy, named after a small village in Rostamabad, Iran where the rest of the trilogy takes place.
International cinema is diverse and it can take you to many places. Although these are only three films, there is still more to see. MUBI is a great streaming platform for a diverse range of films. They also have great titles from other countries for you to check out.